Thursday, July 10, 2008

Long Live the Tucketts

The main reason we headed out to Utah (a week after we moved to our new house) was for the annual Tuckett Family Reunion. Spencer's mom came from a family with TEN KIDS. (Whoa...and I think three is a handful.) They alternate who is in charge of this bash and this year, it was Spencer's mom's turn. Can you imagine the turn out? Each of her siblings has kids and grand kids and some (I believe) have great-grand kids. Parker kept insisting that all these people are not his family. It was crazy to spend the day at a Park with millions of people you don't know, yet think they're all related. We don't attend every year, but since RubyAnn was in charge this year, we decided we ought to make a cameo.

This post is VERY long. Lots of pictures with commentary...and not just of my kids, cousins too. So If you want to skim or skip it all together, I don't blame you. But just know you'll be missing out on some dang cute kiddos.

The kids headed straight to the playground immediately after I unbuckled them from their car seats. I had to chase them down with sunscreen.

Reid

Liam

Rylee

Gray in his stroller as usual.

Jackson

Liam and Reid

Reid

Park wouldn't let me take his picture at this point...quite the contrast to his cousin Zak. After I took this first picture, Zak asked me if I'd rather have a picture with a pose.

And this is what he did...

I don't know who thought painting was a good idea. Ok...it was my mother-in-law. At least she had the smarts to buy washable paint. There were a few little girls who came out of this COVERED in paint.

There was a pond at the park...of course all the little boys were drawn to this. Could there be anything cuter than a group of little boys...group is probably not the right term. When boys get together it's more like a herd. I wish I had a picture of all of them.

I've always wished I had a kid who refuses to take off his cowboy boots. Since we don't own any cowboy boots, I'll settle for a cute nephew who refuses to take them off. Even in the heat of the summer. Is that cute or what?

Gray resuming his position in the stroller.

Caleb picked up a dead fish and thought he was so awesome.

Reid loved this

Benny and Zak (Zak was the only one to fall in.)

Brynnlinn pondering the beauty of the pond.

The Tucketts have all kinds of traditions at these reunions, but this is the one the kids look most forward to...an old fashioned sawdust hunt. Seriously...they hide candy and little toys and money inside a huge pile of sawdust and the kids go at it.

Before it started...Jackson was explaining to Liam how it worked.

The hunt is on...

Caleb

Jackson

Even Grayden got to get out of his stroller for a little sawdust action.

After finding a piece of candy and about three toys...Reid had enough and sat off to the side to count his loot.

Luckily, they had a separate pile of sawdust for the older kids...those kids pounced on that thing. The little ones would have been eaten alive.

Brynnlinn and McKenna are 10 and 11 and best friends. I love having cousins like that.

Rylee

My beautiful niece Kirsti...who is now too old to participate...kindly decided to sit with my kids instead.

Running races are among the many Tuckett family reunion traditions, too. Spencer has memories of racing all through his childhood...which is why he now refuses to race. The same cousin beats everyone every year.

The one and under race was first...this is as close as Grayden got to winning. No folks, that's not the finish line. It's the starting line. He didn't even cross it.

This is the cute little snot that beat him...our niece, Taylor.

Reid came in second in the two year old race. Too bad there were only two kids racing. Everyone cheered Reid on anyway...it's as though they've never seen a kid with a prosthetic leg run in a race before. The poor girl who won...I think Reid got more attention. He enjoyed his Ring-Pop winnings.

Check out the number of four year olds racing...the Tuckett family was busy that year. Notice Caleb (red shirt in the middle) ready to run. Then there is Parker and Jackson on the end...Parker picking his chapped lips and Jackson on the ground. Caleb turns 5 this month and Parker was not quite 4 yet. Maybe by next year when Parker is Caleb's age, he'll get it. Parker was totally oblivious to the start...he's way in the back, but still having the time of his life.

He, too, enjoyed his Ring Pop.

Some of the other neices and nephews racing...

Brynnlinn and McKenna

Zak

Andrew getting some air.

Even Spencer's brothers, Benny and Steve, decided to get in on the "30 and over" action. Spencer was pretty happy he decided not to race...the same cousin that beat him all through childhood won again.

The spectators...Kirsti and my mother-in-law and a bunch of people I don't know.

This is Steve checking out the nutritional value of the winners candy. I know it's funny, but I've seen him make this face a million times.

Can any two people look more alike than Spence and Steve? I wish I had a better picture of these two. People at the reunion who hadn't seen them for years were mixing them up. Steve had an entire conversation with a cousin pretending he was Spencer and never told him the truth. Not only do they look alike...but they are practically the same person. I fell in love with Spencer thinking he was truly one of a kind. Not the case. They are so funny to watch when they're together.

Here is Kirsti the beautiful again...

and again, watching my kid.

Spencer carrying a tired boy back to the pavillion after the races.

This was our state of exhaustion at this point... Gray screamed, Park was in a daze, and Reid went into hiding.

There was a bit of revival after dinner so we headed back to the playground with the cousins.

But ultimately, the crazies had been there way too long right after a two day road trip on a one hour time change. So Spencer stayed until the last Tuckett went home and I took the crazies back to Grandma and Grandpa's house and attempted to put them to bed.

9 comments:

I like that you "attempted" to put them to bed- that one word says a lot and I totally get it. This has happened with us before. They are way over tired and away from home so you think "I will put them to bed" but when it isn't their own bed, it is never that simple!:)

Sawdust hunt? What a blast- I have never heard of such a thing! His family knows how to do reunions! The races are so cute- even Gray playing with the starting line! :)

Katie you are amazing. All this right after the stress of buying a home, moving, long drives... It looks like you had a great time. And your car trip ideas are one of a kind. I'm going to steal them for the next road trip I go on. My kids love crafts but I never would have thought to do them on the road. Thanks... ps I love checking out your blog. It is very entertaining.

Looks like your little guys had tons of fun! Spencer has quite a cute family! And I love the little boy in his cowboy boots! That will definately be Derek.. he loves to wear his crazy yellow giraffe rain boots and it cracks me up. Boys!

Your family and Spencer's are all fun!! What a fun reunion!! I want to be in that family, too! I loved all the pictures, and I checked out the cutie nephews and neices- you are so lucky to have an extensive extended family- what fun!!

How fun! Its unreal how families expand-though I imagine with 10 kids it happens even quicker than I can comprehend too. I love Parker's insisting that they're not all related. HAHAA! :) So funny. The funny expression of Steve's-I can see Spencer doing the same one! And the pic of them together-I know I've seen Spencer making Steve's face! Unreal!

Defining Katie

One morning Reid asked me if he could have rockstar hair. I said of course, then asked him what rockstar hair looked like. He said, "like yours."
Now THAT'S why I had kids. And I didn't even think I was having a good hair day.